A woman with more than two decades of regional workforce development experience has been hired as the new executive director of the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board (WIB). Lucyann Vierling joined the WIB as executive director in early July.
The Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board engages business, industry, education, and economic development and community organizations to identify workforce challenges and develop strategies and solutions to address those challenges. Members of the WIB include representatives from private sector businesses and industry, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, community groups, economic development agencies, state and county agencies, and educational institutions from across Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.
“In today’s economy, it is vitally important to make sure our local workforce has the skills necessary to find and retain jobs, so the Workforce Investment Board must develop new policies and plans to achieve successful outcomes,” Vierling said. “We need to work with our workforce partners, higher education institutions, our regional partners, our economic development agencies, and most important, our business community to create solutions together. A workforce investment system that is agile and responsive is one that prepares tomorrow’s workforce, upgrades skills of incumbents, and helps workers who have been downsized by giving them skills to get new jobs.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a positive challenge,” she added.
Previously, Vierling was an economic planner for the Lackawanna Workforce Investment Board. She was manager of workforce development for the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance in Pittston and director of workforce development programs for the TREHAB Community Action Agency, which serves a six-county area from its office in Montrose. Also at TREHAB, Vierling was Department of Public Welfare coordinator and DPW case manager.
Vierling has extensive experience with regional industry cluster development; strategic planning; PA CareerLink chartering; writing grant submissions for funding from the Department of Labor & Industry, Department of Public Welfare and the Department of Community and Economic Development; and managing multiple contracts with an annual budget of $2.3 million.
“Lucyann Vierling has extensive experience in collaborating with training providers, identifying training needs, designing programs, and developing peer-to-peer networks. Throughout her career, she has proven to be skilled in program management, program evaluation, program development, team building, organizational relationship development, non-profit management, community relations, and grant writing. She is going to be a tremendous asset for the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board,” said Martha M. Herron, chairwoman of the WIB.
“Lucyann has a proven ability to establish and nourish relationships with partnering public agencies and the private sector; lead civic projects benefiting the community and region; and effectively work with local, regional, and state government officials,” Herron added. “She is an effective manager and leader. We look forward to her leadership of the WIB.”
Vierling’s professional affiliations include: Wall Street West Human Capital Committee/Sustainability Committee, King’s College Economic Certificate Program Advisory Board, Governing Board – STEM Initiative, and Skills in Scranton. She has been named a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and received the Rotary Group Study Exchange Scholarship and Rotary Foundation District Service Award.
Vierling holds a Master of Science degree in organizational management, a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in individual studies. She lives with her family in Clarks Green.
